Hurricane Irene Slams Bahamas & Dominican Republic, Is on Her Way to East Coast Where Evacuations Are Underway, State of Emergency Declared in Several States (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on August 25, 2011
Raging waves batter against the seafront in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic after passage of Hurricane Irene| Photo credit: ERIKA SANTELICES/AFP/Getty Images
Hurricane Irene is getting closer and is increasing her power. Tiny Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina has already been undergoing evacuations this week. Other states and parts of New York may be evacuated. Several states have already declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Irene, now a Category 3 storm, charges towards the East Coast of the United States. The U.S. Navy is moving ships away from Norfolk Naval Station as a precaution.
It is feared that the hurricane could grow to a Category 4 storm by Thursday, long before it reaches the coast this weekend. A Category 4 hurricane has winds of 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr).
From USA Today, The Cruise Log, Hurricane Irene hits the Bahamas, changes more ship schedules:
Several lines also had to evacuate the private Bahamian islands they operate as ports of call.
And it’s not just cruise ships scrambling out of the storm’s way. In Virginia, the U.S. Navy’s Second Fleet has started moving ships away from Norfolk Naval Station.
The storm, which was 60 miles east-northeast of the popular cruise port of Nassau, Bahamas, at 8 a.m. ET, is now a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of up to 115 mph. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm may strengthen and reach Category 4 as it barrels toward the East Coast, possibly hitting North Carolina this weekend, and heading north toward New England. It would be the first major storm to hit the coast in seven years.
Associated Press: Raw Video: Irene Pummels Bahamas Leaving Damage
From Miami Herald, 200,000 ordered off the coast as Irene approaches:
The National Hurricane Center posted hurricane warnings on the North Carolina coast this afternoon and said Hurricane Irene will attack the state’s coastal counties Saturday with storm surges of five to 10 feet and “large, destructive and life-threatening waves.”
Rainfall levels of six to 10 inches are expected along Irene’s path in coastal North Carolina, with up to 15 inches in places.
Dangerous storm swells and rip currents already have reached the North Carolina coast.
Irene, a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds, could grow even stronger before its landfall, expected Saturday evening near Morehead City.
Evacuation shelters opened inland and thousands of tourists and coastal residents fled the central and northern beaches today.
“There will be an impact on Eastern North Carolina,” Bill Read, the National Hurricane Center director, told reporters in a teleconference this morning. “The storm will maintain hurricane force winds of 115 mph as it approaches the coast of North Carolina Saturday morning.”
Gov. Bev Perdue declared a state of emergency for the counties east of Interstate 95, and asked President Barack Obama to take similar action in advance of Irene’s arrival.
Evacuation orders were in effect for more than 200,000 people along the coast, including all vacationers and residents in Hyde and Dare counties, and for vacationers in Carteret County and Currituck Outer Banks. Residents of Carteret County’s Bogue Banks island will be required to evacuate Friday.
NOAA: Hurricane Irene – Updated August 24, 2011
From K1047 News Radio, Hurricane Irene Strengthens, NC In State Of Emergency:
This morning Governor Bev Perdue issued a state of emergency for the eastern coast of North Carolina. Hurricane Irene’s path is gears straight for an Outer Banks landfall hit, with winds anywhere from 110-120 mph. Many coastal cities have been evacuated and others are on hurricane watch. All counties east of I-95 are to take extreme precautions.
“Hurricane Irene poses a significant threat to our state,” Perdue said, “and we need to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors, along with property and infrastructure along our coast.”
From Fox News, Connecticut Governor Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Irene:
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has declared a state of emergency in Connecticut as the state prepares for the effects of Hurricane Irene.
The declaration signed by the governor on Thursday gives him powers including the ability to order evacuations and direct civil preparedness forces into action.
Malloy said he decided the measure is necessary because of the projected storm path that threatens a direct hit on Connecticut over the weekend. He said it will help officials react more quickly in the event of a serious event.
From Baltimore Sun, O’Malley declares state of emergency:
Gov. Martin O’Malley just declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Irene, which could dump as much as a foot of rain on Maryland this weekend.
The executive order signed by the governor activates the state national guard and puts the Maryland Emergency Management Agency into high gear. The governor plans to give a news conference from the MEMA headquarters in Reisterstown later this afternoon.
ABC News: Hurricane Irene Speeds Towards U.S. East Coast: Where Will Storm Make Landfall?
From Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Weighs Evacuation Ahead of Hurricane Irene:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to a flood-prone area in Queens to deliver a comprehensive briefing on plans for the hurricane barreling towards the East Coast.
“The city has already seen the power of Mother Nature once this week,” said Bloomberg, referring to the earthquake that rattled New Yorkers but left little damage Tuesday. “And Mother Nature may not be done with us yet.”
Bloomberg said a decision could be made by Friday about whether to evacuate people in low-lying areas ahead of Hurricane Irene’s arrival. These areas include: Coney Island and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn; Far Rockaway and Broad Channel in Queens; South Beach, Midland Beach, and other low-lying areas on Staten Island; and Battery Park City in Manhattan.
“We don’t yet have enough information yet to make that call,” Bloomberg said. “There are still too many unknowns, but we will make a decision on whether to call for evacuating certain areas based on the track, the speed, and the strength of the storm.”
The mayor’s early moves ahead of the hurricane marked a contrast to the last big weather emergency, when a Christmas blizzard combined with a sluggish response from the Bloomberg administration left the city paralyzed for days and dealt a blow to the mayor’s approval rating. Thursday’s media briefing marks the second in two days to update the public on the city’s plans.
Bloomberg emphasized Thursday that he has the power to both recommend and force evacuations, but said the city will only order an evacuation in the worst circumstances. Asked how the city might enforce an evacuation, the mayor replied: “The worst case, if they didn’t leave…they could die.”
The latest forecasts show Hurricane Irene reaching the New York area on on Sunday as a Category 2 storm, but there remains significant uncertainty around its ultimate path. “Anything can happen in terms of its direction and its severity,” Bloomberg said.
South Florida is gearing up for Hurricane Irene
From Washington Post, Hurricane Irene to sock beaches, sweep D.C. metro region:
It has become clear that areas from the tidewater of Virginia northeast across the Chesapeake Bay to the Delmarva coast will experience a very serious hurricane in Irene. Ocean City residents have been ordered to evacuate and the mayor has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Irene approaches
As you go west of the Bay, the impacts from Irene are likely to lessen. Determining exactly where the cutoff occurs is a difficult issue. And, as we’ve been stressing, changes in the storm track can have important changes – shifting major impacts east or west.
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